Chicken Quesadilla Grande

Loving the flavors of Mexican food inspired my lunch creation for today.

Chicken Quesadilla Grande

Living in LA has provided me with a taste for Mexican food.  It's so readily available that we tend to eat it quite often.  I love the spicy flavors, the cheeses, the sauces...I can on and on about Mexican food.  So it's natural that I have ingredients in my pantry or refrigerator which allow me to make various Mexican dishes.

My pantry shopping challenge for the new year it really paying off.  Taking what I have on hand and whipping up a great meal leaves me an outlet for creativity.  I've also cut my shopping expenses in half so far...great savings for sure!  I've also made a good dent in my stockpile of food, cleaning out some items from the freezer, such as chicken.

This dish is full of flavor.  The bacon lends another dimension to the quesadilla, and store bought pico de gallo adds zip.  The chipotle sauce lends some heat.   This is great for a quick lunch, or dinner served with a side salad.

Try this version, it won't disappoint you! 

To assemble the quesadilla:

-Oil one side of two tortillas.  This will assist in the browning of the outside.

-Take a tortilla oiled side down and spread chipotle sauce over the surface.  (Chipotle sauce is   the sauce from a can of chipotle chilies).  

- Add the chopped or shredded chicken
- Add the shredded cheese

- Add the crumbled bacon
- Add the pico de gallo

Looks pretty good already!

- Top with the remaining tortilla oiled side up
- Place it in a hot skillet on medium heat.  Allow brown 2-3 min per side.  I place a lid on top to assist with melting the cheese.

-Remove from the skillet and cut in to triangle wedges.  Serve with favorite toppings.  Mine is sour cream with a dab of salsa.

Lunch is served!

Chicken Quesadilla Grande

serves 2

Ingredients:

2 flour tortillas - 8 inch size

vegetable oil

1 T. chipotle sauce

1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded or sliced

1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese

2 slices of cooked crumbled bacon

2 T pico de gallo

Toppings:

Sour cream

Salsa

Green Onions

Directions:

Place your tortillas flat on a work surface.  Brush a tiny amount of canola oil on the top of each tortilla.

Take one tortilla and place it oil side down.  Brush chipotle sauce on the surface of the tortilla.  Top with chicken, cheese, bacon crumbles, and pico de gallo.  Top with the other tortilla, oiled side up.

Brown in a preheated skillet on medium until filling is heated thoroughly, and cheese is melted. Cover with a lid.  Cook  2-3 minutes per side.

Remove from heat and cut in to triangle slices.  Serve with desired toppings.

Recipe has been linked up to:


Country Mama Cooks Saturday Link & Greet

Honey Apple Pancakes

I warned you about me and apples.  

I'm on a roll lately...getting in my fill of apples while they are fresh and crisp.

I came across this recipe for Honey Apple Pancakes in a Better Homes and Garden book and loved the ingredients that were used.  Much healthier than a normal pancake recipe with the use of honey and apple juice.  They state that a 2 pancake serving has on 3 grams of fat, 22 grams of carbs, and 1 gram of fiber.  I helped this along by using a "lite" apple juice, which has 1/2 the sugar content, and topping it with sugar-free maple syrup.

The best part?  The apple flavor.  So warm and comforting!  And these pancakes rose very very well!  Such a great recipe with great flavors, I had to share!

Here's how the batter looks when preparing it.

The end result?
You tell me...

Look how fluffy!

Hope you enjoy them for your weekend breakfast or brunch!

Honey Apple Pancakes

adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

Servings: 8 - 4 inch pancakes

            

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon apple pie spice
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 beaten egg
3/4 cup lite apple juice
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon cooking oil
cooking oil spray

In a medium mixing bowl, stir flour, baking powder, salt, apple pie spice, and baking soda.  In a small mixing bowl, beat egg slightly; stir in apple juice, honey, and oil.  Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture; stir until blended but still slightly lumpy.

Lightly coat a nonstick griddle or skillet with cooking oil spray and heat over medium heat. For each pancake pour about 1/4 cup batter onto the hot griddle or skillet. Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until pancakes have a bubbly surface and slightly dry edges. Turn and cook 2 to 3 minutes more or until golden brown. 


Linked to:
Melt in your mouth Monday

Taco Salad

A "healthy new you" in 2012 brings out the salads in me.

I love a good salad.  I didn't used to.  To me salads never tasted as good when I made them...but they tasted excellent when someone else made them!  But salads lend you a creative outlet.  You can make so many variations and turn them in to something unique and delicious.


This particular salad is one that my friend Kayle taught me how to make a long time ago.   It's very forgiving, so you can change up the ingredients to utilize what you have on hand.  This is also a perfect salad for "pantry shopping" since you can use items your store.


So, I will give you the basis for my Taco Salad that I made, as well as some other options for substitutions.


Start with making some taco meat using my taco seasoning.

In a large bowl place a chopped head of cabbage.  TIP: using cabbage rather than lettuce, lends this salad great crunch, and allows you to keep the salad mixed together for several days and it won't get soggy!

Add, chopped tomato

Add chopped or shredded carrot

Then you can add slice jicima

Then add shredded cheese - I used both cheddar and monterey jack.

Add the taco meat

Stir all together

Place on individual salad plates and top with broken tortilla chips and Catalina dressing.


YUM!

Other salad variations:


Pinto beans
Black beans
Kidney beans
Garbanzo beans
Cucumber
Corn
Red Bell Peppers
Pepper Jack cheese
Pepitas

Enjoy your salad, be creative, and eat well!